Category: blog

A year ago, almost to the day, Ireland’s Transition to a Low-Carbon Energy Future was published. This White Paper was approved by cabinet on my recommendation as minister, following months of careful deliberation, expert research and analysis, and with inputs from government departments, specialist agencies, businesses, and communities across the country. It deals with many critical issues, including renewable energy (by no means confined to wind, but recognising its significant contribution), energy efficiency, the enormous advances in technology that can be harnessed, the opportunities for business and for jobs in Ireland, and most importantly of all, the necessary transition from passive consumer to active “energy citizen”.

I see from your account of the Dáil debate on climate change that the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment stated he wanted “a complete review of our renewable energy policy” (“Denis Naughten stresses need to persuade on climate change”, December 9th). It strikes me as strange that in the course of the Dáil debate little or no mention was made of the fact that all of these issues – including diversifying our renewable energy portfolio into solar, bioenergy and offshore technologies – have been so recently and comprehensively considered. I would strongly urge the Government not to turn back now on any of the progress made – whether in the White Paper or in the renewable energy plans of 2010 and 2012. The last thing this area of policy needs is more uncertainty or delay. What we need now are big and bold steps; even a pause could be a serious and costly mistake.

In the reorganisation of departmental functions, climate change policy and the environment are now merged with energy and natural resources. This largely makes sense, since the energy sector is so critical to addressing climate change. Future policy decisions regarding oil and gas exploration will have to be made in the light of the imperative to decarbonise, given that the White Paper marks the first time an Irish government has expressly stated, as a matter of settled policy, that we are going to eliminate – yes, eliminate – fossil fuels from our energy mix. A central element of the White Paper was a commitment to establishing, by the third quarter of 2016, an “Energy Forum” to bring people together to plot our exit strategy, and to do so in a manner that recognises both the enormity of the task, and the very real and exciting opportunities the transition will bring.

The Government intends to broaden this forum beyond what we had in mind in the White Paper, and that’s fine, so long as it means increasing rather than reducing the level of ambition involved, and that it gets under way soon.

Finally, while of course we need to persuade, we also all need to get real.

The evidence is clear; the only question now is whether we are going to act – and act together.

Alex White TD welcomed the announcement that Sysnet Global Solutions, the Dublin information security and services company, is to invest €1.34m in a major research and development programme, supported by Government through Enterprise Ireland. This will see the company create 30 new high value jobs in Dublin and 8 in their overseas network, by 2014.

The new jobs will bring total employment in Sysnet in Ireland to 111 by 2014 and global employment to 135 by the same date.

Established in 1989, Sysnet is a leading provider of information security and assurance services worldwide. With this new research and development programme, Sysnet will expand its software development operation in Dublin and invest in the development of the existing compliance management system to meet the changing needs of existing and future clients. The company has continued to grow its international business over the past six years, and the new development will position Sysnet to build on its existing business and expand into new export markets.

Commenting on the announcement, Deputy White said:

“If we are to get out of this crisis and create the levels of employment we need, we must create an indigenous engine of economic growth. Indigenous companies provide proportionately three times more benefit to the Irish economy than multinational companies, and while FDI will remain a crucial part of our economic strategy, the Government are determined to support high growth indigenous companies in every way possible.

Sysnet is a dynamic Irish tech company operating at the cutting edge of its sector, engaging in R&D and innovating, and today’s announcement that it is investing and creating further jobs is great news. In the forthcoming Action Plan for Jobs the Government will be implementing further measures to support the indigenous companies of the future so that we can accelerate their expansion to create the jobs we so badly need”.

This morning, my party set out a unique policy approach that will maintain the strong and stable economy we have built, and sustain a decent society with strong public services, quality jobs, and investment in our future.

Labour’s record on sound public finances and jobs – in this and previous governments – is second to none.

The stable recovery and economic growth that we have delivered – just a few short years from inheriting a collapsed economy and unsustainable public debt – are a remarkable achievement for the Irish people.

But they are not ends in themselves.

Labour sees them, instead, as a means to an end – the necessary conditions that enable us to build and sustain the decent society that the Irish people hope for, aspire to, and deserve.

This is why we keep saying that Irel and needs balance in Government – just as much as it needs stability and competence.

A Strong Economy for a Decent Society sets out how Labour intends to sustain, and build on, the recovery that the people of this country – and the policies of this Government – have achieved through hard work and determination.

It outlines how we intend to share the fruits of recovery fairly, through progressive reform of USI, PRSI and tax credits, to help those on low and middle incomes.

And it confirms Labour’s commitment that we will invest €3 in services for families and communities for every €1 that we take off tax, over the next five years.

This will enable us to invest in even more job creation – quality, high-skilled jobs that provide a career – and deliver public services and infrastructure capable of giving our children a society and economy fit for the 21st century and beyond.

Today I expressed my concern at the widespread perception among civil servants that their work was not valued by the public. Responding to yesterday’s publication of the Civil Service Employee Engagement Survey, which found that just 15% of civil servants believed the public valued their work, and warned that this could have a “corrosive effect” on staff morale and public service delivery.

Speaking at the launch of the 2016 Better Energy Communities grant scheme, which will distribute €20 million to community-based energy efficiency projects this year, I outlined that better-than-expected public finances will allow the Government to review its capital plan earlier than the proposed 2017. Large-scale capital investment is essential in energy efficiency, renewable energy and green transport.

I visited St John of God in Stillorgan last week (Friday 8th January) to congratulate staff and management on their energy efficiency programme, which cut the hospital’s energy bills by almost a fifth last year.

Today (Tuesday 22 December) I formally opened the procurement process for the State Intervention to provide high quality, high speed broadband nationwide by 2020 – this is a defining moment for our citizens, the telecommunications sector, and for our economy, which marks the beginning of the largest and most significant broadband intervention ever in Ireland.